‘We are prepared to carry on subsidising Leighton Buzzard market’

Leighton-Linslade Town Council has said it plans to continue subsidising the town’s ancient market as a “community asset”.

The town council told the LBO it had no plans to follow in the footsteps of neighbouring Dunstable Town Council – which has voted to relinquish management of its general market from February 2018.

Instead, the nine remaining Dunstable traders will be encouraged to apply for street traders’ licences from Central Bedfordshire Council, with the promise of stalls and bin services being provided by Dunstable Town Council.

Leighton-Linslade Town Council clerk Mark Saccoccio said: “Street trader licences is not something that this council has had reason to consider.

“As a community asset, the town council is at present prepared to continue subsidising the running of the market in the common interests of the parish.”

Dunstable Town Council has struggled in recent years to hire market staff and has had fraught relations with traders.

On announcing this decision, Dunstable Town Council clerk David Ashlee said: “I am pleased that the council was able to ensure that a new market of street traders will keep a general market going in Dunstable. Whilst I accept that this decision might not be popular with a minority of existing traders, I feel the decision was in the best interests of all Dunstable residents and council tax payers.”